The Toronto Raptors are the most likely team to acquire Pau Gasol if the Los Angeles Lakers trade him, according to rival executives.

The Raptors would likely build a trade for Gasol centered around Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon.

According to sources, however, Bryan Colangelo has showed no willingness to deal Bargnani.

I do not oppose this. You never enter negotiations offering your best package. Outside of diehard Raptor fans and a couple of writers, few gave them any hope for anything this season. The Lakers on the otherhand are expected to compete for a championship. Colangelo entering negotiations offering Calderon and Kleiza is a good start.

The Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves have both recently tried to engage the Lakers in trade discussions for Gasol, sources told ESPN.com, but the Lakers continue to tell teams that call that they will not consider dealing the Spaniard until L.A. can fully assess its roster after the return of injured point guard Steve Nash.

Stretch power forward Andrea Bargnani, veteran point guard Jose Calderon and fellow vet Linas Kleiza are among the players, sources say, that the Raptors have discussed making available to the Lakers in a deal for Gasol. It's an open secret around the league, meanwhile, that Timberwolves general manager David Kahn has been trying since last season to acquire Gasol to join fellow Spaniard Ricky Rubio in a three-man core with All-Star forward Kevin Love, but sources say that the Lakers continue to resist Minnesota's attempts to build a trade offer around 2011's No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams and center Nikola Pekovic.

Sources told Broussard that Atlanta and the Houston Rockets, two clubs long linked to Gasol, no longer have interest in acquiring him. The same, sources told Broussard, holds for the Denver Nuggets, who possess multiple players who would appear to fit D'Antoni's system well.

If Toronto could get Minnesota's assets (or a combination of) without taking on Gasol, that would be a helluva nice haul: Williams, Pekovic, Ridnour, 1st round pick. Pekovic could be retained or easily flipped again. He is going to be a RFA and Raps could match or do sign and trade. Williams could be that stretch 4 BC seems to love. Ridnour is a great backup.

Colangelo's unwillingness to trade Bargnani....just makes me sick to hear that crap. Man, I don't know how th Bobcats' fans went through an entire season like this last year.

I don't think much will happen until after December 15th when free agents from last summer can be traded.

Personally, I don't think he is unwilling to trade Bargnani. You never go in to negotiations offering your best package. He is probably dicking around LA with Calderon and Kleiza..... or at least I hope.

“We are going to go the way Andrea goes offensively,” Casey said. “[With Bargnani,] we are a different team. We spread the floor. The floor is spaced. DeMar has more space to operate. [Bargnani] is the hub, the core. He is the guy everything kind of revolves around. If he is active engaged and productive, not only at the offensive end, but on the defensive end, we are a different team.”

I think Casey realizes that without Bargnani playing well this team is a bottomfeeder. So as long as he isn't traded for something good, Casey probably thinks that Bargnani playing good basketball is the only way to move up in the rankings. Sadly that (most likely) isn't going to happen.

There is no "if" with Bargnani. Everyone can see this except Casey. He is not going to be "actively engaged" on the defensive end. Never, ever, ever, ever.

Last year I didn't think about Casey much cause the roster was awful and the whole point of the season was to lose and be in the Anthony Davis sweeptstakes.

This year, although I am by no means a basketball expert, I find myself constantly raising an eyebrow when it comes to Casey.

The offense is terrible. There is no player movement, no ball movement. A lot of the great motion stuff Triano ran is gone and hasn't been replaced by anything. The bigs don't get good looks with the ball, when they get it at all, and there are rarely any easy looks in a half court set. It's all one-on-one stuff.

Then you have the defense where tactical adjustments come too late or not at all. Pounding the rock is fine but even better would be pounding the rock while utilizing sound tactics. I don't see that.

Finally, player usage has been baffling. Bargnani is one example but there have been countless times where you just scratch your head at the rotations.

All a coach can do is put his players in the best position to win and I don't think Casey does that. Yeah, he's got a flawed roster with too many one-dimensional players and limited skill but you'd be hard-pressed to make a case he's getting the most out of his players.

Oh, my, GOD! Coach Casey please shut the fuck up. My goodness, he has been irritating! No more shitty, same excuses and benh the fucking cancer... (Sorry for the term, just tired of such non-care from such a talented player).

Oh, my, GOD! Coach Casey please shut the fuck up. My goodness, he has been irritating! No more shitty, same excuses and benh the fucking cancer... (Sorry for the term, just tired of such non-care from such a talented player).

Still think Casey is a great coach?

I'm with you on his interviews it's the same regurgitated shit over and over. There is no accountability in the room and I don't think he's helping. It's time to take the kiddie gloves off and start calling out players.

Andrea effort and not taking it to the hoop when his shots not dropping
Demar losing track of his man defensively and when driving trying to finish with a dunk or into the man (this will get him more free throws)
Lowry cheating in the passing lanes, sharing the ball and shot selection
Jose not fighting through screens
JV for not holding his screens longer
Amir for not giving the same effort we've grown accustom to
Kleiza for not being amnestied

I like that the high school rotations of everyone has been cut back but something has to change it's getting hard to watch.